On September 1, “Raise Our Voices II” will be held in the field behind the Urbanna Firehouse. The emphasis of the “old-school R&B concert” is to “make our voices heard by voting in the election on November 7,” states a full page ad published in area newspapers.
The musical groups include “The Whispers,” “Russell Tompkins Jr. and New Stylistics,” “A Taste of Honey,” “GQ,” and Willie Rogers (formerly of the “The Soul Stirrers”).
The doors open at 6 p.m. and the show will begin at 7:30 p.m.
The ad states: “On September 1, join us as we raise up our voices in the community while listening to some of the best in old school R&B. Now more than ever, we need to make our voices heard by voting in the election on November 7.”
Civil rights activist the Rev. Al Sharpton is scheduled to be one of the speakers.
The first “Raise Our Voices” concert at the Urbanna Firehouse in 2014 drew about 1,200 people, said Middlesex Sheriff David P. Bushey.
Sheriff Bushey said he has met with the organizers and ticket sales will be limited to 2,000, due to the size of the concert venue.
The concert is organized by the 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East and the National Action Network (NAN), a civil rights organization that Rev. Sharpton founded in 1991.
George Gresham, a former Middlesex resident, is president of 119SEIU, which is based in the New York City area. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) represents 2 million members.
Sheriff Bushey said the organizers will bring their own security officers and will pay for Middlesex deputies to be at the concert. No alcohol will be served, he added.
Tickets can be purchased at Eventbrite (RaiseOurVoices2.org) or at the firehouse venue until showtime on September 1, states the ad.
